Welt holding mechanism



w. c. CARD, JR 2,097,869 WELT HOLDING MECHANISM ar/All If;

2 $heefos-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. l9 19-34 ATTORNEYS- INVENTOR C. C

WELT HOLDING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nmum 1 \wi fi. 52%; W

RNEYS Patented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES waste PATENT cries 2,097,869 WELT HOLDING MECHANISM Application October 19, 1934, Serial No. 748,980

10 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes, and more particularly, to an apparatus forholding down the welt extension of a shoe when pressure is applied to its bottom, as during a channel laying, or sole affixing operation.

Av general object of the invention is to provide an improved welt hold-down apparatus to be used in conjunction with pressure applying devices such as sole presses and the like.

More particularly, the invention has for objects the provision of advantages in an inflatable shoe press equipped with a welt hold-down device such as ease of operation and control, ready adjustability, compactness and relative simplicity and inexpensiveness in structure, ease of assembly and disassembly for the purpose of utilizing variously sized welt crease platens, and generalpracticality and satisfaction in operation. Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts. which will be exem plified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the. application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a shoe press eq i ped.

with one form of a welt hold-down device 'constructed in accordance with the principles of the present inventionthe lower portion of the press being shown in medial vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view corresponding substantially with line 22 of Fig. l, theshoe being unmoved;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken along line 5-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 "is a fragmentary vertical sectional view,-

on a slightly enlarged scale, showing details at the forward part of the welt hold-down apparatus; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view showing details of the welt hold-down platen joint structure.

A very satisfactory type of cemented shoe can be made by following the lasting operations customarily used in the manufacture of sewed welt shoes up until the time of applying the outer sole, which latter then is cemented to the welt on the upper instead of being stitched thereto. Such cement affixing operation takes place in an inflatable press of the kind customarily used in the application of outer soles to cemented shoes. When pressure is thus applied to the bottom of the outer sole, it is desirable that some means of support be given the welt extension which projects beyond the body of the upper in order to prevent this extension from being rolled or curved by the pressure pad and also to assure firm cement adhesion between such extension and the outer sole. Such a supporting means also is desirable in sole afiixing ordinary cemented shoes which are not equipped with a welt in order to prevent rolling of the sole extension.

In channel laying operations on sewed shoes, it is also desirable to support the welt extension against pressure applied to the bottom of the outer sole in laying the channel.

The present device is intended to provide such a welt extension supporting means and is useful in any operation such as those mentioned. Accordingly, while for convenience of reference terms such as welt extension and "welt crease are used in the present description and claims, it is intended that these terms shall, wherever the context permits, refer to that marginal portion of the outer sole which is not directly backed up by the upper, regardless of Whether or not a welt actually is used in the shoe construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown an inflatable shoe press having a base portion l0 and a rigid bow member II from which extend a toe post 52 and heel post l3. The press has an inflatable pressure applying pad l4 positioned in its base portion.

At the forward end of base it there are provided a plurality of approximately vertically extending spring pockets !5 (Figs. 1 and 4) which preferably are cast integrally with the press casting. If desired, however, these pockets may be separatelyapplied to the press in any suitable manner, in which case the welt hold-down apparatus about to be'described may be applied to existing presses which were not heretofore so equipped. The spring pockets l5 each have an opening l6 passing therethrough, which opening is enlarged as at I! (Fig. 4), and slidably accommodates a rod 58. The lower end of each rod l8 has threaded thereon a spring seat or head I9 which is snugly slidable within the enlarged opening or pocket at ii. A compression spring 20 is located between each head it and the upper end of its respective pocket. This spring gives each rod 18 a no m l downward bias and the upper end of each rod is provided with a head 2| which bears against a welt holddown housing generally designated 22.

This housing comprises an upper confining plate 23 and a lower confining plate 24, both of which are suitably configured to overlie the forward portion of the press and each of which has a rearwardU-shaped recess accommodating the forepart of a shoe. The upper plate 23 has a downwardly extending marginal rib 25 (Fig. 4) which serves to space lower plate 24 therefrom.

A pair of welt crease engaging platens are slidably accommodated within the space between the upper and lower housing plates. These platens are respectively designated 26 and 2T and their inner edges are shaped so as to fit within the welt crease of a shoe located on the press and to bear against the welt extension of its outer sole. The plat-ens are pivotally joined at their forward ends, each being medially undercut as is best shown at 28 and 29 in Fig. 6 so as to provide a continuous welt engaging surface around the toe end of the shoe in any adjusted position of the platens. A pivot pin 29 extends from one of the platens into a pivot bearing 30 in the other. As shown in Fig. 6, platen 26 is coped at 3! and that portion of platen 21 which overlies this coped area is provided with a pin hole 32, into which is fitted a pin 33, which in turn is carriedby a link 34 that is pivotally attached to an operating lever 35. Lever 35 is pivoted at 36 so as to swing between the housing plates and its free end is provided with an upwardly projecting operating handle 31, which is movable along a slot 38 provided in the upper housing plate. Adjacent their free or rearward ends, the platens are respectively provided with guide slots 39 and 48, into which project fixed guide pins 4! and 42. These pins are threaded downwardly into upper housing plate 23 so as to have their lower ends project within the space between the housing plates and each pin has its upper end provided with a knurled head to facilitate ready insertion and removal thereof. The pin 33 which serves as a connection between the operating lever 35 and the pivoted platens has a downward extension 33 which is slidable along a guide groove 43 provided in the lower housing plate 24.

The entire arrangement is such that forward and backward movement of operating lever handle 31 causes forward and backward movement of the platens 26 and 21, such movement being guided adjacent their pivotal joint by the pin 33 and the groove 43 and being controlled by the guide pins and slots 39, 4B, 4! and 42 so as to cause a mutual approach and recession of the platens as they move backward or forward. In other words, the platens are adapted to contract about the forepart of a shoe.

It will be seen that the entire spring housing is yiel-dably mounted as a unit on the press, spring pressed movement of such housing being permitted by the slidable rods l8.

Preferably each platen is provided with a rather highly compressible rubber buffer 44 which is adapted to abut against the toe of a shoe and to cushion the application of the platens to the welt crease thereof.

The platens 26 and 21 are confined against.

- to unscrew the guide pins 4| and 42 sufiicient y to' manner, being properly positioned beneath posts l2 and I3 and above the pressure pad [4. The operating handle 35 is then moved toward the heel' end of the press so as to contract the platens about the forepart of the shoe, the operator seeing that they enter into the welt crease thereof so as to be in supporting relation with the sole extension. The inflatable pad is then blown up so that pressure is applied to the bottom of the sole, such pressure being counteracted in the welt extension area by the platens 26 and 21.

It will be seen that there has been provided an apparatus which is well suited to fulfil its intended functions. Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is in-- tended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which; as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a shoe apparatus having means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a welt hold-down device comprising a housing having upper and lower confining plates, platens slidably mounted between said plates in position to engage in the welt crease of a shoe positioned on said apparatus, said plates confining said platens against vertical movement with respect thereto,

and means for sliding said platens in said housing to accommodate shoes of varying sizes.

2. In .a shoe apparatus having means for 3. A shoe press having a base, means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, and means for supporting the shoe against such pressure, a housing at the toe end of said base, spring means resiliently anchoring said housing to said base with a normal bias toward said pressure applying means, and platen members slidably mounted in said housing in position to engage in the welt' crease of a shoe located in said press.

4. A shoe press having a base, means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe and means for supporting the shoe against such pressure, a housing at the toe end of said base, said base..

having spring pockets, rods extending from said housing respectively into said pockets, spring means in said pockets reacting between said base and said rods normally to urge said housing toward said pressure applying means, and'platen members slidably mounted in said housing in position to engage in the welt crease of a shoe located in said press.

5. A shoe press having a base, an inflatable pressure applying pad supported by said base, means for supporting a shoe against the pressure exerted by said pad, a housing at the toe end of said base, said base having spring pockets at opposite sides thereof underlying said housing, headed rods passing through said housing and slidably into said pockets, spring means in said pockets reacting between said base and said rods normally to urge said housing toward said pad, and platen members slidably mounted in said housing in position to engage in the welt crease of a shoe located in said press.

6. In a shoe apparatus having means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a Welt hold-down device comprising a housing having upper and lower confining plates, a pair of platens pivotally joined at their forward ends and shaped to engage in the Welt crease of a shoe positioned on said apparatus, said platens being slidable between said plates and confined thereby against vertical movement with respect thereto, each platen having a guide slot in the free end thereof, a fixed guide pin extending from said housing into each slot, additional guide means for said platens adjacent their pivotal joint, and means for sliding said platens to accommodate shoes of varying sizes.

'7. In a shoe apparatus having means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a welt hold-down device comprising a housing having upper and lower confining plates, a pair of platens pivotally joined at their forward ends and shaped to engage in the welt crease of a shoe pin projecting from one of said platens in the vicinity of its pivotal joint, one of said plates having a groove embracing and slidably guiding said last named pin, and means for sliding said platens to accommodate shoes of varying sizes.

8. In a shoe apparatus having means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a welt hold-down device comprising a housing having upper and lower confining plates, a pair of platens pivotally joined at their forward ends and shaped to engage in the welt crease of a shoe positioned on said apparatus, said platens being slidably confined between said plates, each platen having a guide slot in the free end thereof, a guide pin extending from said housing into each slot, a link, a pin connecting said link with one of said platens adjacent its pivotal joint, said pin having a projecting portion, one of said confining plates having a guide groove slidably accommodating the projecting portion of said connecting pin, and an operating lever connected with said link for moving said platens.

9. In a shoe apparatus having means for applying pressure to the bottom of a shoe, a welt hold-down device comprising a housing having upper and lower confining plates, a pair of platens pivotally joined at their forward ends and shaped to engage in the welt crease of a shoe positioned on said apparatus, said platens being slidably confined between said plates, each platen having a guide slot in the free end thereof, a guide pin extending from said housing into each slot, a link, a pin connecting said link with one of said platens adjacent its pivotal joint, said pin having a projecting portion, one of said confining plates having a guide groove slidably accommodating the projecting portion of said connecting pin, an operating link connected with said link for moving said platens, and spring means normally urging said housing toward said pressure applying means.

10. In a sole attaching apparatus, a pad support, a pad upon the support, a yoke sustained by the pad support, heel and toe supports sustained by the yoke, and a welt hold-down sustained by the pad support independently of the yoke and of the heel and toe supports.

WILLIAM C. CARD, JR. 

